Mila's head lifts slowly, her eyes meeting mine in a haunting echo of recognition and despair. "Elara?" Her voice is a threadbare whisper, strained from disuse and confinement.
"Yes, it's me," I rush to the bars, my hands gripping the cold metal. "I'm so glad you are alive!"
I can't believe my luck. This was easier than expected.
Way too easy.
Uneasiness curls inside my core, but I ignore it. Sometimes people just luck out, right?
"What happened? How did you end up here?" I ask, keeping one eye on the entrance to the dungeons, though there's really no place for me to hide here, even if anyone comes.
She draws a shaky breath, and her voice quivers. "It was so sudden, Elara. One day, I was walking down the street when Darius and the gang approached me. They just seized me right th
